22,000 residents of Lusignan and Annandale are boasting of improved access to potable water
following the completion of a new well in Lusignan at a cost of close to G$141M.
The well was Drilled by S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies & Construction Services at a depth of
955 feet and services residents of Grassfield, Lusignan Pasture, Lusignan East & West,
Annandale and Courbane Park. President Irfaan Ali commissioned it on Tuesday, March 15. Ali
in his feature remarks highlighted Government’s $6.2B investment in the water sector since
assuming office in August 2020.
Ali said that some $11B has been earmarked for the sector over the next 2 years. He said that this
investment will ensure that 100 percent access to potable water is achieved along the coast and
the hinterland by 2025 and that 100 percent access to treated water is achieved along the coast.
The President also took the opportunity to highlight that Government has removed Value Added
Tax (VAT) from Water, reinstated the Pensioners’ subsidy and reduced the water tariff by 5%
across the board. This, he said, is what a responsible Government does. He congratulated all
Housing & Water Minister, Collin Croal told the gathering at the commissioning ceremony that
the new well is another achievement of repairing and adding to critical infrastructure. He
disclosed that while the well was not originally budgeted for in 2021, Government made
additional resources available for its construction. Croal encouraged the beneficiaries of the new
well to use the water responsibly and to report any leaks they observe in their communities.
The Minister used the opportunity to state that the possibility of using the Hope Canal as a water
source on the East Coast is being explored given the growing demand for the resource as well as
the effects of climate change. Chief Executive Officer of GWI, Shaik Baksh acknowledged the
difficulties of the communities following the collapse of the old Lusignan well in late 2020.
Baksh apologised to the residents for the delay in bringing the new well into operation, which he
attributed to the depletion of GWI’s inventory under the previous Government.
He went on to assured that this situation has been turned around and well materials have been
procured for the next 4 or 5 wells. According to the GWI CEO, a minimum of 8 wells will be
drilled along the coastland in 2022 and 30 in the hinterland. A robust maintenance programme is
also in place for the maintenance of the existing wells and Water Treatment Plants. Baksh
stressed that GWI is moving aggressively towards the construction of six new water Treatment
plants
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Mon Repos/La Reconnaisance NDC, Ayube Mohammed stressed
that the residents’ lives have been made easier with the completion of the new well. He said the
facility is well appreciated even as he expressed gratitude to all those involved in the project. The
well has a design life of 30 years and has achieved a good production of 210 cubic meters of
water per hour.
The water quality analyzed by GWI’s Scientific Services Department confirmed that all tested
parameters, with the exception of iron, conforms to the World Health Organization (WHO)
standard for drinking water purposes. This will be remedied with the installation of iron removal
facilities within the affected areas in the near future.
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